Governor for elastic-fluid engines



Aug. 14, 1923.

D. C. PRINCE GOVERNOR FOR ELASTIC FLUID ENGINES Filed Feb. 19. 1921 Inventor-z David clpr ince His Attorngg.

. a citizen of the Unite bines and the like, and particularly tov govwherein one element is driven bfy effecting an adjustment of the valve Patented Aug. 14, 1923.

- UNITED 'STATES- PATENT oF FICE.

DAVID C. PRINCE, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW

YORK, ASSIGNOB T GENERAL ELECTBIG 7 COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF 'NEW YORK.

GOVERNOR FOB ELASTIC-FLUID ENGINES; J

Application 111m February 19, 1921.

To all whom it 'ma Be it known t ernors of the type. comprising a differential the engine and the other speed, fromth controlling th tefithe engine.

way of reliability in operation, sensitiveness, power, and simplicity of structure; In

actual ;practice' however, it is subject to an the object of my present provide an improved structure and arrangement whereby such huntin will be avoided.

accompanying description and the claims appended thereto.

In the drawing, the figure is a diagramma'tic view of a governing mechanism embodyi'ng my invention, the same being shown, by. way of example, in connection with' a steam turbine.

Referring to the drawing, steam turbine having a shaft 5, a valve means 6 for controlling theadmission of elastic'fiuid, and an exhaust conduit 7 which may lead "to a suitable condenser. Valve means 6 may be of any suitable type, that illustrated being a known" type comprising a valve chest 8 in which are a number of a row and adapted to be successively lifted by lever arms 10 hav- 4 indicates a The valve structure and servo-motor ar as typical Serial no. 446,511.

of an known or suitable mechanism for direct y controlling the admission of elastic fluid to a turbine.

Mounted adjacent speed motor having its shaft 21 in axial preferably in the form of direct current electric motor, although it will be understood that in its broader aspects my invention is not necessarily limited to a motor of such type. Connected to shafts 21 and 5 are two bevel gears 22 and '23 of a diiferential gearing. Bevel 28 is an arm 29 connected by a link 30 to one end of 9. end of floating lever 31 is connected by a link 32 and lever 33 to piston rod 15. At its central portion lever 31 is cdnnected to stem 84 of pilot valve 18.

On the upper end of rod 28 is a rack 35 which units 39 and 40, and alsoover the contacts of a resistance 41. One brush 42 of motor 20 is connected by a conductor 43 to contact 38 "and the other brush 44 is connected by a conductor 45 to a startin resistance 46. At 47 is a starting lever w a shunt wound floating lever 31. The other ich cooperates with resistance 46 and is biased to oil-' position by a spring 48; 48 indicates a stop for starting lever 47. Starting lever 47 is connected by a conductor 49 to one nected by conductor 52 to contact arm 37,

and b 41..

53 to resistance ne terminal of the field of motor 20 is connected by a conductor 54 to resistance Y a suitable switch 60. At 61 and 62 are sto s for limiting the movetact arm 57-being set to cause motor to the, desired run at a certain speed which is turbine spee Assume also that the directions of rota ion of shafts 21 and 5 are those indicated by the arrows. Contact arm 37 is. positioned so a certain amount of resistance 41 is inthe field circuit of motor 20, thereby providing a certain field strength.. .As long as the motor speed and the turbine spee are the same, differential gear wheels 22 and will be rotated at the same rate of speed and in'opposite directions and there will bedifferential no turning movement to gear wheels 22 and 23, gear wheels 24 rning on their pivotal connections with zdsing 25.

ar wheel 23 will run slower than gear w eel 22 with the result that casing-25 will turn-relatively .to gear wheels 22 and 23 in a direction to raise rod 28. The raising of rod 28 will lift pilot valve 18 thereby admitting actuating fluid to c 17 above the piston therein which wil lower rod'15 and 'efiect a further opening of the valve mechanism-toadmit more elastic fluid to the turbine to enable it to come back to taken as typical of an speed. In this connection it will be understood thatthe servo-motor 16 is of usual and well known structure I usual manner to move the connectionembodying a known arrangeand operates in the the valve mechanism,

ment of follow-up device toyprevent overtravel. The arrangement illustrated may be.

suitable arrangement whereby movement 0 "rod'28 effects a move- -mentof the valve mechanism. In case the speed of the turbine increases above that set by'motor 20, due'for example to a.- decrease in load, then the same action takes place exce t in the opposite direction to close somew at the turbine valve mechanism and bring the s ed back to normal:

the rod moves contact arm 37 to increase or zethe :fn-rod 28 moves 1n response to a change in speed, rack 35 at the upper end of decrease the amount of resistance 41 in the fieldcircuit of. the motor. The purpose of this is to ive a certain speed range to the overnor governing action and prevent hunting.- When rod, 28 moves upward due to an increase in load, contact arm 37 is moved to cut a certain amount'of resistance 41 out of the motor field circuit. This strengthens the motor field and thereby decreases the motor speed. The turbine,'therefore, after being slowed down by an increase in load does not come back toits original speed but to a;

of easing 25relatively If now the turbine decreases in speedrdue to additional load or other cause,

the torque'\ of the motor and-thus protect rents.

linder and this may. represent rom no load to full load to' stabi-,

speed slightly lower. Likewise in case of an increase in speed due to a falling off in load, the downward movement of rod 28 will cut additional resistance 41 into the field circuit of the motor, thereby weakening the field and increasing the motor speed, so that theturbine does not come back to its original speed but to a speed slightly higher. By" the provision of resistance 41 which is 'thus automatically cut into and out of the field circuit of the motor as the load varies, I provide a-certain definite speed range between'no load and full load whereby the governin is stabilized and hunting prevented. ranch' conductor 53 serves to prevent-an open circuit in case arm 37 moves beyond the last contact point of resistance 41.

At the extreme ends of its movements, the differential is prevented from further movement by stops 61 and 62 and when either. of these positions is reached resistance 40 or 39 is cut into the armature'circuit .of the motor. The purpose of this is to break down the gear mechanism from excessive strains,

and the motor windings from excessive cur- By means. of contact arm 57 the amount of resistance 56 in circuit with the motor field may be manually varied s0 as to set the motor for the desired turbine speed. When all of .resistance .56 is cut out of the motorfield circuit, the

.fourth speed, while when all of resistance 56 is in circuit the speed will be highest, i. e., full speed. the motor is .set

speed will be lowest. for example oneloo No matter for what speed b contact arm57, its range from no load to ull load at any speed will be taken care of by resistance governing will be ed. The amount out of the field circuit by contact arm 37 is chosen to give the desired regulation in speed from no load to full load. This regulation may'be made 'asclose as found destable and hunting avoidsirableand feasible in any particular case.

Electromagnet 59 1n the motor field circuit serves-to hold starting lever 47 in on. po-

sition against the action of spring 48. In

of resistance cutinto and- 41 so the-- case the motor loses its field for any reason, 7 p

then magnet 59 will be deenergized and spring 48 will move contact lever 47 to f ofi' position and open the motor circuit.

In starting up, motor 20 vmay be first started'with contact arm ,57 at quarter speed position,, i. e., with resistance 56 all out of circuit. The turbinecontrol hand valve with which the turbine is alwa s supplied may be then gradually opene until the tur ine comes" to' quarter speed and the differential governor takes control. The hand valve may be then fully opened and control arm 57 moved to set motor 20 for the turbine speed .desired.

. mover having a s ing the ing automatically c1ple of operation of my invention, together now consider to with the a paratus which I represent 51% best embodiment thereof; but desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other Turbine 4 may drive an such as a generator or the peller of a ship.

means.

b What I claim a new and-desire to secure Y1. In combination, a prime mover, a rotatinfi shaft driven thereby, a second rotating s aft, means for driving it at a constant speed, a means responsive to difference in said two shafts for regulatprime mover,

the speed of the second rotating shaft with changes in load on the prime mover to stabilize the regulation of the prime mover.

2. governin mechamsm for a prime aft, said amsm omprising a shaft, means for driving it at a constant speed, a differential mechanism arranged between said shaft and the prime mover shaft, and means connecting the difi'erential mechanism to the valve th f the prime mover, characterized b the s eed of the constant speed varied governing. mechanism for a p aft, said governing mechanism comprising a shaft, means for ing it at a constant speed, a differential mechanism arranged between said the prime mover shaft, and means connectmg the d to the valve gearof the prime mover, characterized by Letters Patent of the United States, is,- bil and mean for vary-- governing mechth the fact that means are provided whereby the s ed of the constant speed shaft is d automatically from no load to full load to stabilize the governing, and that means are provided for settin the driving y means for the constant speed s aft to drive such shaft at a predetermined speed.

' 4. In combination, a rime mover, a valve mechanism for controlhng the admission of motive fluid thereto, a shaft driven by the prime mover, a constant speed electric motor aving a shaft, differential mechanism arranged between the motor shaft and prime mover shaft, means connecting the differential mechanism to said valve bination, a prime mover, a valve mechanism for controlling the admission of prime mover, a constant speed electric mo- F tor having a shaft,

arranged between the mover shaft, means ential mechanism to diflerential mechanism motor shaft and rime connecting the iflersaid valve mechanism, varying the speed of the constant speed motor with chan load on the prime mover so as to stabilize e governing, and means for setting the motor for a desired constant speed.

6. In combination, a rime mover, a valve mechanism for controlling the admission of motive fluid thereto, a shaft driven by e prime mover, a constant y trio motor having a shaft, differential mech- -t e fact that means are provided whereby mover.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 18th da of Februar 1921.

DA D 0. FBI CE.

the motor 

